National Development and Reform Commission: More fields will be allowed to operate wholly by foreign investment

Ning Jizhao, deputy director of the National Development and Reform Commission, said at the press conference of the Second Session of the 13th National Peoples Congress on June 6 that China will introduce more open measures in the fields of agriculture, mining, manufacturing and service industries, allowing more fields to be operated solely by foreign investment.

Ningji Zhe said that the work of revising the negative list of foreign investment access has been initiated. On the basis of greatly relaxing market access last year, the negative list of foreign investment access will be further reduced this year, and the pilot test of expanding the opening up in the free trade pilot area will continue.

He said that this year, a new Catalogue of Industries Encouraging Foreign Investment will be issued to expand the scope of encouraging foreign investment and give full play to the role of foreign investment in the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the development of emerging industries and the coordinated development of regions.

Speaking about the implementation of national treatment before and after foreign investment access, Ningjitao said that China was comprehensively clearing up the restrictions on foreign investment in areas beyond the negative list of foreign investment access to ensure the consistency of domestic and foreign investment standards in market access; at the same time, promoting government procurement, standard formulation, industrial policy, science and technology policy, qualification licensing, registration, listing and financing, etc. Give fair treatment to foreign-funded enterprises.

He said that the National Development and Reform Commission is working with relevant departments and local governments to simplify management procedures, such as filing, to carry out major foreign investment project services and promote work. At present, two batches of major foreign investment projects have been launched, and a third batch, including new energy, advanced manufacturing, petrochemical, electronic information and other fields, will be provided with land, sea, energy and planning support to accelerate the progress of EIA approval and further improve the degree of investment facilitation.